The Districts Among Us- A Hunger Games Story
by HeartlinesInTheSpectrum
Summary: What would happen if Katniss had died in the 74th Hunger Games?- My first story follows Grace, a career from 2. I'm quite glad with the ending! Please review it, comment, etc and tell me how I can improve my writing! :)
1. Chapter 1

The Districts Among Us

District 1 is overrated. My family own a hair salon which I rarely help with because it's closing soon due to lack of customers. None of us have been eager to work within the last couple of weeks and certainly not tonight. I've been brought up as a career. I've been training in knife-throwing and combat for my whole life, waiting for my year to step out of the crowd of my district on the day of the reaping and announce that I wish to volunteer. Although this year isn't my year to stand up, I'm still getting butterflies in my stomach about the reaping in a few days from now. I'm not going into the Arena, but I still have to train. "Hey, Grace!" Walking into training I hear his voice, Owen's voice. He's volunteering for the Hunger Games tomorrow. It's unlikely he'll die in there, he's extremely skilled and will probably distract the female tributes with his appearance. "Excited to see me on the victor's tour of the districts? It'll be televised, and probably next week. The Games shouldn't last too long." His boots are a tad too small for him. Walking into training is as normal as it is every single day, but this day there's only one mat out and chairs surrounding it in a circle. Coach Laurie calls us over. "Sit where you want, I don't care" Walking past her enables my nostrils to inhale the heavy scent of vodka on her. "So, Owen and Polly are entering the Arena tomorrow" Owen and Polly nod and smile with pride. "Let's give them the chance to show off their moves. Pick a partner" Owen chooses a random male whom I've never spoken to and Polly choses her best friend, Fi, to spar with. "Begin" Laurie falls asleep. On the mat provided, Polly and Fi gesture to Owen and his friend should spar first, so they do. Everyone sitting around the mat claps with excitement that the two largest and most skilled fighters are sparring together for the last time. If Owen wins the Games, he'll be a mentor and won't need training anymore. Owen and his friend spar for a couple of minutes until Owen throws the guy to the floor and holds him down for more than five seconds. Owen won. The rest of us clap as the two of them return to their seats. Polly and Fi stand opposite each other, giggling. Fi throws the first 'punch' which results in a fit of laughter between them, everyone else stays silent. "Just fight, will you?" Owen says. The girls widen their eyes and turn serious. Polly punches Fi hard in the stomach and she winces in pain. Fi punches back, in the jaw. Before Polly can hold onto her jaw in pain, Fi kicks her in the knee joint sending Polly to the floor. We all heard the click. "You punched me first, and hard. Don't cry over it." Fi spits it out at Polly, whom is now screaming in pain gesturing towards her legs. Laurie wakes up."What now?" "My legs!" Cries Polly. Laurie sighs as she crouches down to Polly's side and grabs her legs, examining them. "Oh God" Laurie's shaking her head "No" She's breathing heavily "They're broken, and you're supposed to be volunteering tomorrow." Polly's still screaming in pain, but now at the fact that she can't volunteer with Owen tomorrow. Everyone in the room begins to shake their head at Polly. "We need someone else to do it. Go to the scoreboard" As a group, we shuffle to the far wall to the scoreboards to see how everyone's doing with training. The male side has Owen at the top with the most points, and the female side has Polly. The name underneath hers is mine. "Grace, make us proud out there, okay?" "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

"You're joking, right?" Mum exclaims as I enter my house. I'm guessing Laurie called her. "You haven't had enough notice! You can't, you can't." She sits down on the chair in front of the fire, cupping her head in her hands. "Don't ask me the questions, I was told roughly the same time you were. I'm not to blame for this but I am prepared. I can go there, mum, and return home." Her blood-shot blue eyes stare back at me, the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes. "If you believe you can, I believe you can." She attempts a smile and strokes my arm. Being a career you'd assume my parents would jump to the thought of a spontaneous chance to enter the Hunger Games, and be proud. I was forced to be a career as a punishment for my parents. My mother refused for me to train when I was small because her boyfriend when she was younger volunteered but was killed in the Games. My family are protective and have been trying to avoid me entering the games at any cost; little do they know of my ambition to win the Games and become a district hero. Dad comes into the lounge and hugs me tight. "You will return? You will win? Please, Grace." How does he think I can promise this? I have no idea who I'm up against. "I will." Growing up I've been taught that it's an honor to die in the Games, better than dying of diseases or old age back at home. If you enter the career academy but don't perform well, you're punished. My fear of the rumored punishments made me work harder to get me to second place. I dread to think how Polly must be feeling now.

Walking into the square alongside of Owen is depressing knowing we'll be seeing each other again in less than an hour. The route towards the square is covered in colorful balloons and banners with 'May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor' printed on them. Bands play music which I've never heard before whilst families with children about to enter the reaping dance with smiles stretched across their faces. My parents decided to stay home and watch it live, knowing they won't have a chance to say goodbye there and then. The guards take my blood I walk over to the girls' section. "See you soon, pal" Owen whispers into my ear then goes to his side of the square. Our escort, Hetty Rose, steps out onto the platform in front of the justice building and moves her hands to gesture to the crowd to quiet down. After a while, they do. "Ladies and gentlemen of District 2, I am delighted to finally announce the male and female who have the luck and honor to represent our district in this year's annual Hunger Games. Ladies, best of luck." She waddles over to the clear bowl in her 5-inch stiletto's and takes a name out. _This is it._ I'm about to make my way out of the crowd when Hetty unfolds the paper with her silk gloves and projects the name. "Polly Deans."


	3. Chapter 3

I shake my head and continue to the aisle separating boys and girls until a hand stops me walking any further, Polly's. "I can do this, let me" she begs as she grips tightly onto her crutches. The silence surrounding us deafens me. "Polly you're in crutches, you won't be able to run. I need to get past." It's at that moment where I notice the purple bruise surrounding her eye, her blonde hair only covering a portion of it. She raises her voice. "My name was called out, _not_ yours Grace!" She prods my chest with her index finger. "Ladies?" Hetty's becoming inpatient. With all the eyes staring at us, Polly pushes me away and walks towards the aisle proudly, waddling in her crutches. I follow her screaming "I volunteer!" over and over again until we're left standing in the middle of the aisle with the peacekeepers approaching us at a fast pace. "I'm sorry, Polly" The peacekeepers take my arms and haul me onto the stage. "I'm so, so sorry." "Well, no we've got that out of the way." Hetty continues "Now for our male-" "I volunteer!" Owen emerges from the crowd into the center. Not many surprises here as everyone knew Owen was entering the Games. Owen walks towards the stage, pushing past Polly who is now being pulled away from the aisle by peacekeepers. As Owen climbs the steps smiling, a gun blast goes off. Lying in the middle of the aisle is Polly, blood pouring out of her temple as her body lies limp and lifeless. Her body is taken away in a matter of seconds, only not to be followed by her family. "Our tributes, Grace Kiyam and Owen Puyt." We're dragged into the justice building by peacekeepers, not allowed to say goodbye.

With the crowd cheering around us, Owen and I make our way to the train with Hetty. The train is only a silver carriage but the inside is always better than the outside, from what I've heard from previous winners. They're correct. Stepping into the carriage smells fresher than fresh air itself. The carpet is grey which matches the walls which are lined with photos of victors from the last Hunger Games. Hetty leads us to a table which is coated with scones, cakes and breads. Pretty much the same I eat every day. "I'll grab Cato for you." Hetty trots off into a gliding door and leaves the room. "Cato?" The name rings a bell, but I can't match the face. "Winner of 74th? Tall, muscular, career like ourselves? He's our mentor anyway." Owen's description matches perfectly. Cato walks in with Hetty wearing jeans and a torn black t-shirt, showing his muscles. He has an evil glare under his thick eyebrows and golden hair- I wouldn't want to get on his bad side. "Grace, Owen, congratulations on making it here. You'll be sitting on this train returning home in just over a week." _No pressure. _ "Do you have any tips?" Owen asks the obvious. "Go for the weaker ones, get them out of the way. It made me a victor." A flashback of the 74th Games enters my head. The girl with the arrow who volunteered for her sister. The girl on fire.


	4. Chapter 4

"You wait for them to feel comfortable- not safe- and then you attack." Cato carries on. "Use your weapons you find in the Cornucopia wisely, but go for the ones you know best." In training I've learnt how to use pretty much anything to my advantage. From a gun to mud, I know how to kill. "And what if we don't make it through the bloodbath?" Owen asks. Cato reaches for a scone and takes a bite. "Oh trust me, you will."

Lying on my bed in my quarters is beyond strange. A few hours ago I was with my family, hugging and saying goodbye. I sit up and stare out of the window to absorb the different landscape to the usual one I see every morning in 2. There are fields with corn sprouting up everywhere, hills coated in colorful flowers and not a single cloud in the sky. We must be getting closer to the Capitol. "I figured you hadn't eaten anything." Owen walks into my room holding a plate of bread and scones, he sits down next to me on the bed and places the plate next to me. "Hetty confirms we'll be there in ten minutes." He doesn't sound as proud nor excited as much as he did in training yesterday. "You're not speaking much." He's right. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm doubting myself." I lower my head in shame. "Never say that." He nudges the plate nearer to me, I grab a scone and start eating. "We know one of us is returning." Slightly cocky, but I can believe this despite my personal doubts. Hetty charges into the room. "You need to come to the lounge." She leaves with the sound of her heels following her. We get up and move down the hallway to enter the lounge. Large red sofas in front of a projector, similar to the ones I have at home. "We're watching the re-wind of the reaping to see your opponents." "Your targets." Cato corrects Hetty. District 1 had volunteers like us but they don't seem much of a threat from their appearance. I'm willing to bet they're silent killers. The footage of our reaping is shown. First, Polly's name being read out. Then a sudden catastrophe within our section of the crowd and me chasing after Polly volunteering myself. Then the peacekeepers try to take Polly away during Owen's volunteering until she's shot. District 3 reaped out a small 12 year old girl who no one volunteers for and a tall, handsome guy who volunteers. He hugs the 12 year old when they stand together, I'm guessing they're siblings. District four reap out two beautiful individuals with golden hair and green eyes, they don't act like they have a relationship at all. 5 has a female volunteer after her younger sister was reaped, similar to the 74th Game, and a small male kid who looks petrified. Cato can't stop smiling. 6, 7 and 8 have strong tributes but not up to our standards. 9 reap out two tall and bulky individuals which is rare for this district. They look more eager than most of us careers do. Cato's smile fades. 10, 11, and 12 are the same every year. Skinny, petrified and underfed tributes looking shocked when their names are taken out. One from 12 had to be pulled from the crowd by peacekeepers because he refused to go. Hetty claps her hands enthusiastically. "Truly wonderful, I hope you- look! Look! We're here. The Capitol, why aren't you looking?" Hetty jumps and taps at the window. "Isn't it beautiful?" Despite their cruelty, yes, the Capitol is beautiful.


	5. Chapter 5

As we pull into the station crowds of Capitol people yell and tap on the windows, begging for our attention. "I'd wave at them if I were you." Advises Cato, we do as we're told. Owen's popular with the female audience who "ooh" when they see him due to his handsome appearance. Barely any come and notice me. Owen waves and smiles just as much as I do, until the door opens and we're escorted out of the station and into a large skyscraper. With Cato and Hetty, we enter a lift which takes us up 2 floors to our living quarters. "I just completely_ love_ the way they've refurbished this apartment from last time!" The apartment is brightly painted. One wall is yellow, one green, one blue and one pink. Typical Capitol. Every room is similar in here; extremely colorful. It's evening so we don't have to attend any training sessions just yet, but we have to get through a meal with Hetty and Cato, and meet our stylists. I sit on my new, comfy, pink bed and stare at the yellow ceiling. I'm not really going to die out there, am I? I can't. I hear a bell coming from the kitchen and make my way there. "Grace, meet your fantastic stylist, Mala." Mala is beautiful. Long black hair with sequins dangling down. I've never liked faked eyelashes but she makes them look perfect. Her green dress hooks onto every curve and her smile looks like it must've cost a fortune. "Hello, Grace. I'm looking forward to working with you and on your victor's tour." Dinner consists of salmon with a garlic sauce and asparagus, along with other side dishes like rolls and chicken legs. Hetty breaks the silence. "I just have such a good feeling about this year! District 2 will be a winner, again!" She bites into her chicken leg. "I love this chef. Send him my thanks." She nods at an Avox who was pouring her drink of pink bubbly liquid for her. The Avox scurries off into the kitchen. We spend the rest of dinner eating in silence until I've had enough to eat and stand up. "Now now, Grace. We still have to discuss your training." Says Hetty. Why didn't we discuss this during the awkward silence? I sit down. "Tomorrow will be your first, and then they'll have an individual session to give you a score out of 10 to be released to sponsors. They chose whether you live or not in the arena. You both should be aiming for 10 in order to get the top sponsors. Understand?" Owen and I not at the same time, desperate to be dismissed and go to bed. "Very well, you're dismissed."

Entering the training session was scarier than I had assumed. We're both wearing our training outfits with '2' imprinted on the front and back. My hair is tied into a tight bun so it won't get in the way. We're the last ones to arrive. I immediately make my way to the knife-throwing section when I'm stopped by the small tributes from 1. Their eyes staring daggers at myself and Owen and their arms are folded. "I'm Opal, and this is Brass." Opal's a nice name, but _Brass_? I manage to push the laughter aside. "I'm Grace, and this is Owen." Owen narrows his eyebrows at the two of them who are smirking. "I guess we're allies then." says Brass. Leaning on one side to assess us both. "Yeah, I guess." I say.


	6. Chapter 6

The training sessions go by smoothly. With Opal and Brass giving evil glares to everyone, nobody comes up to us and they leave us to it. I've trained mainly with Opal as Brass and Owen train together, so we rotate around the training hall. We've learnt survival, targets and camouflage. Targets consist of pretty much anything- bows, knife throwing, you name it. "So as you may already know, today is your private training day with the game makers." Cato tells us. "Just do everything you can to impress them. I wouldn't worry too much about the number as a girl my year got 11 and I killed her. So yeah." _Eleven?_ "Well, Cato, I'm sure they do count to something. I wouldn't want my lovely victors dying in there, the sponsors can change anything." Hetty interrupts. "I knew a girl who got matches and created a fire. She was a target from the generosity of the sponsors." "Why would you make a fire in the open anyway?" Owen asks. Cato leans towards us both on the sofa. "And _that_, ladies and gentlemen, is what a victor's mind is made of. Good thinking." Owen grins.

I'm in the waiting room with Owen waiting for our appointment with the game makers. District 1 has only just gone in. As Opal stood up in front of us to go to her interview she gave an evil glare to everyone in the room. After what seems like hours, Brass is called. He hi-5's Owen and makes his way into the room. We can't hear anything from here despite the silence in the room. "District 2. Grace Kiyam." I stand up trying to ignore the jelly of my legs and make my way into the training room. I enter a large space with various weapons dotted around the room, the game makers sit on a balcony high on the wall. "You have 10 minutes to show us your chosen skill." Explains Seneca Crane, head game maker. I make my way over to the knife-throwing station and pick up my knife, aim it, and throw it into the center dot. The audience applaud and nod and I repeat this until all my knives have run out. "Thank you, Mr. Crane." I leave the room.

"I'm so proud of both of you!" Hetty shouts just as Owen arrives back from his session. We're on the sofa awaiting the results with Cato, Hetty, Mala and Kolm- Owen's stylist. "You both will become the faces of Panem, I just know it!" Hetty claps her hands and fidgets like a six year-old. "Unless they messed it up, which is unlikely." Cato says. "They're on guys, shh." Kolm presses a remote to display Caesar Flickerman on the projector telling the scores. Surprise surprise, Opal and Brass both score 10. Owen scores 8 and I score 9. Kolm switches off the projector, we don't need to see anyone else's scores apparently. "We can work with that." Cato sounds disappointed. "In your interview with Caesar tomorrow you'll come across brave and bold, both of you, and you _will_ get these sponsors and return home. After the interview you'll be going into the arena. Everything will work out and everything will be fine. Got it?" "Got it." Owen and I say simultaneously.


	7. Chapter 7- The Interviews

"This dress is beautiful, Mala." My interview with Caesar Flickerman is in a few minutes. My dress is yellow with colorful flowers embroidered on it; similar to the landscape I saw in the fields on my way to the Capitol the day of the reaping. My hair is flowing past my shoulders and my make-up is done to perfection. The only bad thing is that I can't walk in heels. "Just pretend you're in your normal shoes, Grace." Advises Mala. My name is called out from the hallway as I'm informed I'm next to have my interview. Once Brass has finished making the audience laugh, Caesar welcomes me onto the stage along with a roar from the crowd. I sit down on the chair opposite him when the crowd quietens down. "So, Grace, your opinion on the games so far?" He begins. "We're not in the Arena yet though." The crowd laugh hysterically at me being confused, which I am. "I meant about your fellow tributes, do you think it will help you in the arena?" "I know people, yes. They're kind." I smile through my lies as the audience coos at my innocence. Cato's voice appears in my head. _Brave and bold._ "Which could help me win this game." "So you're a winner? You certainly are in that beautiful dress!" The audience cheer. "Thank you. And yes, I sure am. I'm excited and eager. Sponsors would regret not sponsoring me as soon as I leave the arena. Mark my word Caesar, mark my word everyone!" The audience stand and clap and scream my name in excitement. I notice Cato sitting near the front who's clapping and nodding at me. _Ta-daa!_

Owen's interview goes well. Caesar flatters him with his good looks but gives him an easy ride because he can tell how nervous he is. When Owen has finished his interview, Hetty and Cato come and find us in the back-room. "You both did marvelous!" Hetty says. Cato nudges me with a thumbs-up. Opal and Brass come up to me. I suddenly remember what I said in the interview. "Don't worry about what you said, we both know it's true. I'm just glad I have someone to stay with in the arena." She gives a warm, surprising smile and leaves with Brass following her.

When we get back to the quarters, Hetty and Cato speak to us before bed. "I won't be seeing you tomorrow. But I will be seeing you next week! Best of luck my victor's." She kisses us on both cheeks and walks out of the quarters. Her shoes can still be heard until they fade away. "I will see you tomorrow before you go." Says Cato. "I'll save the most important advice then, get a good sleep and be eager tomorrow. I'll see you then." _Most important advice._


	8. Chapter 8- Let The Game Begin

I wear my hair in a tight bun like the first training center and put on my jumpsuit with boots up to my knees. I'm nervous, but I am eager. I leave my room without turning back and head for the main room where I'll meet Cato and Owen. The hovercraft leaves at 7 in the morning and the games begin at 7:30. "Hope you slept well." Cato says, he and Owen look like they've been waiting a while. "We ought to be going." I've notices Owen hasn't looked at me in the eye yet. We walk over the stone floor outside the training center and climb into the hovercraft where I'm welcomed by the stares of the other 22 tributes. When I sit down in my allocated seat a women comes up to me and demands my forearm to place my tracker in. _So they can find me and kill me._ When the hovercraft takes off, it's completely dark. No one says anything so one another, just wait. When the journey is over the front doors open and our seatbelts become unlocked. I stick with Cato and make my way into the launch building where we all enter a lift to take us down into the tunnels ready for the launch. "15 minutes until launch." Says the robotic voice. Cato leads me down a tunnel where only a transparent tube lies. We stand facing each other. "The advice?" I ask. "Kill them when you get the opportunity. You know exactly who I'm talking about." Opal and Brass. "10 minutes to launch." The robotic voice talks again. "I'll see you when you get out of here, Grace. You know what you're doing. But I will warn you, the victor's tour can be quite boring." I laugh. Nerves have taken over my ability to talk. We stand there for the next 5 minutes until the robotic voice talks again. "Tributes launch. Tributes launch." I step into the tube and a door forms in front of me. Cato gives me a thumbs up as the tube rises into the arena.

Skyscrapers. Buildings. Blocks. The arena is a city, the cornucopia is in the town square. The countdown begins. I scan the circle for Owen, Opal or Brass but I can only just faintly see Brass on the opposite side. I'm between the two bulky ones from 9. _Great. _I stay focused on the cornucopia and make out a pack of knives in the center. I know what I'm aiming for. _10_. I need those knives _9_ I'm cold yet the sun is blaring. _8_ I can do this. _7_ Just run, ignore everything. _6_ Don't lose balance. _5_ Think of your dream. _4_ I'm bold and brave. _3 _The cameras are on me. _2_ I love you, mum and dad. _1_ Run.


	9. Chapter 9- Inside the Game

Someone grabs my side as I charge for the cornucopia, but I shove them off and carry on. I see several others running alongside of me: Opal, Brass, and a few others. The poorer districts are nowhere in sight. I reach the middle and I'm first there. I grab a set of knives and hold one firmly in my hand when I hear someone rummaging behind me, then a nudge on my back. I turn and thrust the knife outwards in shear panic. _Opal._ The others are fighting around the cornucopia and my back is covered in case someone jumps on me. Opal stands with her hands clasped around her abdomen. She doesn't say anything, she just stares at me before she falls to the ground. I'm speechless and in shock so I run out of the horn and down an alleyway hidden behind trees. I hear two voices in the distance. "I have no idea if she made it." "She will, okay. She's out there." Just then is when I hear the cannon go off, marking the end of the bloodbath. 7 go off. 17 of us left. "Listen, only 7 are gone. She's still here, man!" It's a familiar voice. Brass. I'm edging further along the wall when I hear a whimper coming from their direction. A small girl. I step out from the wall to see for myself. Brass has her in his grip around her neck, Owen not doing anything. "Grace!" Owen cries when he sees me. "I knew you'd make it." Brass steps towards me. "Did you see Opal? Where is she?" I can play this to my advantage. "Drop the girl, and I'll tell you." "I want to know where Opal is." "I said, drop the girl." Brass pauses for a second and looks around. Brass lets go of the girl and holds his dart gun, sending a poisonous dart through her head. She lies there paralyzed for a few seconds until the cannon goes off. "I did. Now tell me where Opal is." He's got a gun in his hand and I have my knives. How should I play this? "She's dead. The bloodbath took her. I got my knives and ran. When I turned back I saw her body on the floor and then heard the cannons. My hands were tied, Brass." Brass's eyes fill with water and his face goes red. He lowers his gun behind him and fires. A scream is heard from the bushes as a limp body rolls out; a camouflaged tribute. "You asked for that, stepping on the twigs n' all!" He shouts behind him. Another canon goes off, followed by two more. 13 of us left. "We need to get out of here." Owen says. "I think we should find somewhere to stay and make traps." Brass and I nod and follow him further down the alley until Brass stops us. "Here." He points at an old grey building. "We can stay here." The air turns cold and makes us shiver, leaving us no choice but to go inside. The inside smells foul but is warm. We go up a few stairs and enter a hallway lined with weapons and voices coming from one of the rooms. I look at Owen. "There's people here, we need to go. Now!" We turn to the door until a hand is in the way. One of the bulkies. Brass smiles as other tributes emerge from the rooms. Tall, strong tributes. "Nice work, Brass." "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10- FINALE

Owen and I exchange glances. "Brass? What is this?" Owen asks. The other tributes laugh at our misfortune. "You are so naïve. You know that?" He stands in front of his fellow tributes, standing so close to us his saliva is spraying on us. "Why would I need you two in here as an ally? I'd never need you. We'd never need you. And Grace, I saw what happened in the bloodbath. You lied to me." _Crap._ Brass raises is gun at my temple. "Don't kill her. Kill me." Owen says. "She's smart, you know. She could help you get out of here. I mean it." Brass turns to Owen, not taking his gun away from me. "I do what I want. I want to go home and in order to do that I need to get threats away from me." He pulled the trigger. Darkness.


End file.
